Surprise lifted her eyebrows. “Where did you live before?”
He shrugged. “In my shop. I had a cot there.”
Caroline took a moment to digest this new information. He’d devoted himself to building a home for his new wife… the wife he thought he was getting. From reading the letters he’d sent to Eleanor, she knew he’d asked the woman about her favorite colors, flowers, foods. From the window box, she guessed Eleanor’s favorite flowers were daisies.
“It’s beautiful,” she said with great enthusiasm. Then she reached for the doorknob, but was once again stopped by him.
“You can’t just walk in there.”
“I can’t?” Oh dear, what had she done wrong now?
“No.” He frowned and shook his head.
Before she could offer up a protest, he swooped her into his arms. In her shock, she dropped her valise and threw her arms around his neck to hold on. “What are you doing?”
He smiled down at her. “It’s proper for the husband to carry his new wife over the threshold. Do you have any objections?”
Oh, she had many objections. Their faces were so close, she could feel his breath against her cheek when he spoke, and the heat from his body traveled through her clothes where he held her against his chest. She inhaled deeply to steady herself, but that only succeeded in filling her nostrils with a musky, manly scent that further confused her. This couldn’t be right. Surely there was something she should object to. But for the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what. So she simply shook her head.
“Good.”
Somehow, he managed to hold on to her while opening the door, then angled through the doorway without hitting her legs or head on the frame. He swung around, first right, then left, giving her a view of the room. “Welcome home, Mrs. Esterly
He set her lightly on her feet, holding her by one arm to make sure she was steady. Then he leaned closer, his head coming down to hers. Caroline held her breath. He was going to kiss her. He was going to kiss her. He…
He kissed her. On the forehead. She exhaled with a disappointed whoosh, then scolded herself for being disappointed. What was wrong with her?
Not wanting to think she disapproved of the house, Caroline nodded in approval. “It’s lovely, David.”
“Of course, you’ll want to put your own touch on it. There’s fabric, so you can make curtains.” He went to a trunk beneath the window and opened the rounded lid.
Caroline peered inside. There were stacks of fabric, some solid, some printed with tiny flower buds, but the predominant color was peach. It must have been Eleanor’s favorite. Unfortunately, it was Caroline’s least favorite. Collin had bought her a peach dress and insisted she wear it, even though it was ill-fitting and looked terrible on her. The memory made her stomach churn.
“And a new dress,” David said from behind her. “Since you only have the one, I guess you’ll want to make another one.”
Forcing a smile, Caroline nodded and looked at him. “That’s very considerate of you.”
He continued talking, pointing out the cast iron cook stove, which looked like it had barely been used, and the pantry that he’d stocked with a variety of goods. He barely mentioned the bed, only pointing at it long enough to indicate that there was one. None of it was necessary, as the home was small enough that everything could be seen from the front door. Caroline feigned interest as her mind went in a direction of its own.
David Esterly had tried very hard to make his new bride happy. It wasn’t his fault that she didn’t particularly like daisies, or that she had a dislike for the color peach. No matter what, she would find a way to make him happy. He would never regret taking Caroline on as his wife, she’d make certain of that.
5
“What did you do?”
David Esterly had been a married man for two weeks, and he was beginning to regret the decision. Peering at his wife, he shook his head. No, what he felt wasn’t necessarily regret…but he wondered if perhaps they’d been a bit hasty about taking their vows.
Caroline was trying, no doubt about it. But so often, her attempts to help him went terribly awry. During her first attempt at cooking on the stove, she forgot to open the flu and nearly burned the place down. She’d made curtains for the windows, as well as a bedspread and pillows for the chairs, all festooned with more ruffles and flounces than anybody could possibly want. In the process, she’d used all the fabric, leaving none to make herself a dress.
This morning, he’d woken to find her missing, but with coffee ready on the stove, and a plate of potatoes and thickly buttered bread beneath a cloth on the table. He was pleased by the idea that she’d woken early to see to her own chores, but made sure breakfast was ready for him.
Then he went into the smithy.
She stood before him, covered nearly head to toe in grime, holding a bucket in one hand and a twisted horseshoe in the other. At his roared question, she flinched.
“I was cleaning.”
“Without asking me first?”
“I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well, you sure did that!”
Caroline backed away from him and her foot caught on something, causing her to totter. As she fought to keep her balance, she dropped the pail and black water poured onto the dirt floor.
“I’m sorry!” She jumped forward, reaching for the bucket.
Unfortunately, David reached for it at the same time. Somehow, the horseshoe she still held swung forward and made contact with David’s knee.
David growled and bit back a very ungentlemanly sentiment before it could escape his lips. Caroline dropped the horseshoe on the floor. Before she could do anything else, David held up his hand. “Stop. Just stop. Don’t make another move.”
She was trembling, and she crossed her arms over her chest, her fingers digging into her sides as if she were trying to hold herself together. David sighed. At least now, she couldn’t do anymore damage. But she was clearly terrified.
“I’m so sorry. I wanted to do something nice for you. But I ruined it.” Her voice broke, and she began to cry, tears carving pale tracks through the dirt on her face.
Hoping to comfort her, David stepped forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Her muscles tensed and her eyes widened in a reaction he was becoming far too familiar with. He needed to find out what scared her so, but right now, they could both do with some time apart.
“Caroline.” He spoke with a soft, calm voice. “I want you to go to the house. I’ll bring in the tub and fill it with water. While I’m out here working, you need to take a bath. Wash yourself up, and if the water is still clean enough, wash your dress.” He had serious doubts about that, but he’d deal with it later. “Can you do that?”
Caroline nodded, and David nodded with her.
“Go along, then. I’ll be in with the tub soon.”
He watched her leave the smithy, still holding herself, placing each foot carefully as though she were made of glass and with one wrong move, she would shatter.
***
If Caroline held her knees very tightly against her chest, the tub was just big enough for her to sit in. She’d lost track of how long she’d been in that position. She’d scrubbed her face, neck and hands, turning the water a bit gray, but not bad enough to make her jump out. She’d stayed in, curled in a protective ball, crying and thinking about what a mess she continued to make of her life. Now, her tears were dry, the water was cold, and she had a decision to make.
David didn’t deserve a wife like her. If only she could talk to him, tell him what she’d done, maybe things would be better. More likely, he would turn her over to the nearest sheriff and then contact the authorities in Maine. She could leave, sneak out in the middle of the night while he slept. Maybe she could make a new start somewhere. But what of David? How could she leave him, a married man with a runaway wife? It was almost as bad as a divorce.
Caroline rested her forehead on her knees. She was scared. She was scared of staying, and scared
of leaving. She was scared of telling the truth, but scared of continuing a lie. She was terrified of pushing David too far and finding out that he was just like Collin, after all.
What was the answer? Live the rest of her life in fear? Determination bloomed deep in Caroline’s stomach and fought its way upward, filling her, making her spine straighten, lifting her head. No. She would not continue to be afraid. She would do her best to make her husband happy. And she would tell him the truth. Maybe not today, but soon. First, she had to make things better, prove to him that she was able to be a good wife.
She stood and grabbed the towel he’d left nearby. He’d told her to clean up and wash her dress. The first part was done. Now, on to the second.
***
David was afraid to think what would be waiting for him when he returned to the house after finishing his work. As was his custom, he’d washed up at the pump by the back door. He noticed the galvanized tub sitting not far away, empty. Slowly, he opened the door, half afraid a river of dirty water would rush out to greet him. But the only thing that left the house was the delicious aroma of fresh-baked biscuits.
He walked in, but didn’t see his wife. The house wasn’t big enough to hide in. Where was she?
“Caroline?”
“Right here!” She popped up from the floor on the far side of the bed. “I dropped one of my hair combs. Here it is.”
She held up the tortoiseshell comb to prove what she’d been doing, but she could have been holding up an actual tortoise for all David noticed. He couldn’t think about anything except that Caroline was wearing one of his shirts. And not much else, from what he could tell.
“You, uh…” he pointed. “Why are you dressed like that?”
She looked down. “I washed my dress, as you asked. And my underthings, as well.” Her lashes fluttered and she bit down on her lower lip. “They aren’t dry yet, so I borrowed one of your shirts. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
He did mind, but not for the reason she might think. Two weeks of holy matrimony, and although they shared the same bed, they had not shared it in the way a husband and wife were meant to. David knew she needed time, and he had no intention of rushing her. But seeing Caroline, dressed in his shirt which came only to the back of her knees, exposing the shapely curves of her calves, her dainty ankles, her adorable toes… He shook himself. It was more than he could take.
He cleared his throat roughly and stomped over to the bed. “You’re going to make yourself sick like that.” He yanked the cover off the bed and wrapped it around her, trying very hard not to touch her, yet desperately wanting to feel her skin beneath his fingertips. The ridiculous ruffles stood up around her neck, practically making her head disappear.
“David.” She huffed and puffed, and spit out fabric that made its way into her mouth. “I made another mistake, didn’t I?”
“No, not exactly. It’s just, seeing you like that…” He didn’t know how to express what he felt without making her feel pressured.
She shook her head. At least, from the waving of the ruffles, he thought she was shaking her head. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to do.”
David grasped her shoulders and squeezed gently. “Stop.”
The ruffles stopped quivering. With one hand, he pushed away the frilly fabric, and he placed his other palm gently against her cheek. “The first thing you can do is stop apologizing. I don’t know why, but you’re convinced you’re responsible for every little thing. The next time something goes wrong, even if it’s your fault, I don’t want to hear you say you’re sorry. Do you understand?”
Caroline cocked her head to one side, as if she didn’t believe what she was hearing. The movement also pressed her cheek more firmly against David’s palm. He enjoyed feeling her warmth, and rubbed the pad of his thumb gently across her skin. She smiled then, and without speaking, nodded.
This was good. It was a small step, but a step forward none the less. David wanted to pull her to him and wrap his arms around her, but he didn’t want to spook her.
“I should put dinner on the table.” She glanced toward the stove, then looked down at herself.
David shook his head. “You’ve already made it. Tonight, let me put it on the table. You’ve got your hands full.”
She wanted to argue, he knew she did, but she held her tongue and sat down at the small table. David moved to the stove, wishing he’d invested in an icebox. Perhaps that would help cool him down. For now, he just had to get through dinner without trying to unwrap her from the bedspread.
6
“Good morning, Jacob.”
David walked up to the mercantile counter and put his list in front of the proprietor. Jacob had been the mastermind behind bringing brides to Angel Vale, so really, he had Jacob to thank – or to blame – for Caroline. David still wasn’t sure which sentiment was more accurate.
Jacob nodded in greeting. “How are you, David?”
“Very well. And you?”
“Can’t complain. So, how’s business?”
Odd. Jacob had never asked about his business before. “Just fine.”
“Business not slowing down?”
“No. Just the opposite. The more miners that come through, the more horses to shoe and the more tools to fix.”
Jacob pursed his lips and made a humming sound as he looked at the list. “Good to hear. You know, though, if business ever does slow down, I’d be happy to extend you a line of credit.”
“What?”
“Just till things turn around.” Jacob looked up at him, his expression kind. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. We all go through tough times.”
The skin around David’s collar burned with irritation. “No, it’s not. But I’m not going through hard times. I assure you, everything is going very well with my business.”
“I didn’t mean to offend you. But when Mrs. Esterly asked about bartering for goods, I just assumed–”
“Wait. Caroline did that?”
“Yesterday. She wondered what she could trade for fabric.”
There were so many things David wanted to say, but he pressed his lips together tightly and held them all in. He took a deep breath and forced his mouth into a stiff smile. “I see. Caroline and I are still discovering things about each other, as I’m sure you can imagine. Apparently, she doesn’t know that I have an account with you.”
Jacob nodded, as if the explanation made perfect sense. “That must be it.”
“I’ll talk to her about it. And then I’ll send her back to pick out some fabric.” He looked pointedly at Jacob. “Which you will be happy to put on my account.”
“Happy as a hog in slop.” Jacob picked up David’s list from the counter and waved it in the air between them. “Give me just a minute, and I’ll get these things for you.”
“Appreciate it.”
As Jacob walked away, David’s mind returned to the yards and yards of fabric Caroline had wasted on ruffles: ruffles on the curtains, ruffles on the bedspread, ruffles on the pillows. There was no doubt in his mind that if he harvested all the ruffles, she’d have enough fabric to make herself a dress. Why had she been so wasteful? And why hadn’t she told him she wanted to purchase more fabric? He thought they’d been making positive strides when it came to communicating, but he’d obviously been wrong.
David squared his shoulders and huffed out a short breath. They were going to communicate tonight, no doubt about it. David would settle for nothing less.
***
The smell of golden biscuits filled the air as Caroline peeked carefully into the oven. They were almost perfect. Just a few more minutes and she’d take them out. They’d still be warm when David came home.
As she closed the oven door, a smile bloomed on her lips. Today, for the first time in a long time, she was happy. She’d gone a whole day without mishap. Her clothes were clean, her hair was pulled back in a tidy, ladylike bun, and the house was spotless. She’d even come up with a way to make herself a new dress wi
thout asking David to spend money on her. Things were looking up.
The door opened abruptly, and Caroline jumped with a start. David stood in the doorway, a box of dry goods in his arms, and a scowl on his face. Oh dear.
“Welcome home.” She tried to sound bright and cheery as she moved closer to him. “Can I take that?”
“No. I’m perfectly capable of carrying in a box of groceries without my wife’s help.”
He stalked past her and put the box down with a thump by the wall near the stove. Without waiting a second, he turned and stared at her. “Do you think I can’t provide for you?”
“No.” She shook her head in confusion. “Why would you ask me that?”
“Because you went to the mercantile and tried to barter for fabric. You had Jacob thinking that I couldn’t afford what you needed.”
Caroline’s mouth went dry and her body tensed. She’d made another mistake.
“I don’t understand.” He started to pace the floor. “I’ve done everything I could to make you feel welcome. To make a home for you. Why didn’t you make a dress out of the fabric I gave you?”
What could she say? Because that fabric was for Eleanor, not for me, and while it’s perfectly fine for other things, my stomach turned at the thought of making a dress out of it. No, because then she’d have to tell him why it made her react that way, and he didn’t know about Collin. He couldn’t know.
She laced her fingers together, squeezing her hands into a tight ball. “I ran out of fabric.”
“After all the ruffles, I’m not surprised.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted to buy more? Why go behind my back?”
“I didn’t think of it like that. I’m –” It was right there, the phrase he’d told her not to say: I’m sorry. And she was. But she couldn’t say it, because he’d directed her not to. If she did, she’d be disobeying him. But if she didn’t, she’d be disrespecting him.
Christmas Mail Order Angels: The complete 11 Volume Set Page 30
